Sailor Soldiers: Revolution One
by Kami no Neko
Summary: The universe is changing, and a new generation of sailor senshi must come about. This is the story of the inner senshi.
1. Prologue

Sailor Soldiers: Revolution One

Prologue

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**_Dear Diary,_**

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**_Nice day today. It's one of the last nice days I get to enjoy this year... ugh, I so don't want school to start. I want to stay in 8th grade forever! But it's starting a week from now. On the upside, at least I get to see Kioko-chan a lot. We have most of our classes together. My days are going to pretty interesting with her around..._**

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**_I can't stop thinking about what happened today, though. I was at the temple this morning. Harusho-chan had made some really nice new tea (she said it was from Africa) and we were just sitting there and drinking it, when Rei-san came in. She said she couldn't read the fire and that it had tried to ward her off. Harusho-chan got this really weird, empty look in her eyes and said she'd go try. Now, despite the fact that Harusho-chan is really wise and a great priestess and stuff, she could never read the sacred fire that always burned in the shrine. She always told me it resisted her because she "wasn't ready." But today, she did it. And she didn't tell me what she saw exactly, but she looked at me really hard—almost coldly—and told me that everything was about to change. And for no reason at all, I believed her._**

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**_I think today was the calm before the storm._**

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**_Until later,_**

**_Chiba Usagi_**

Usa closed her diary with a _slap_ and rolled over onto her back, heaving a long sigh. "Why did I believe her?" she groaned. "It was a crazy premonition she saw in there. Who believes that kind of stuff besides Harusho-chan and her mom?"

"But Usa-chan, you know that Harusho's premonitions always come true," a small, high-pitched voice rang out.

Usa shifted her gaze to one side to see a gray, crescent-spotted kitten sitting next to her on the bed. She smiled and stroked the kitten's back. "They're always so morbid, though, Diana-chan," she contested. "They're never as bad as they sound."

Diana purred as Usa scratched behind her ears. "Well, I don't know, then. Why did you believe her?"

"It must have been some psychological trick that I pulled on myself." Usa twirled a strand of her pink hair around her finger. "It happens sometimes."

Diana shrugged as effectively as a cat could shrug and flipped her tail about. "If you say so."

"Chibi-usa! Dinner's ready!" a voice called from below. Usa rolled her eyes as she sat up and adjusted her new miniskirt. "Why in the world does she still call me that? COMING!" she shouted only the last word as she adjusted her odangos in the mirror. She froze in mid-twist. "Oh no!" she cried as she pressed her forehead to the glass surface.

Diana jumped up in worry. "Usa-chan, what is it?"

Usa sank to her knees in disdain and turned toward Diana, pointing toward her forehead. "Look at this horrible, ugly, gross thing!"

Diana came closer only to see that Usa had a yellow, moon-shaped bruise smack in the middle of her forehead. "Ew... hey!" she retorted. "I have a yellow moon on my forehead too, you know!"

"Well at least yours is pretty and furry," Usa grumbled. "I'm a human teenager and this is one BAD place for a bruise!"

"It should go away in a few days," Diana said. "You can live with it. Besides, it's not ugly, it's cute." 

"Easy for you to say," Usa muttered as she rubbed the bruise. "It's not even sore, though..."

"Usagi! Come down NOW!" her mother screamed from downstairs.

"Ugh... fine," Usa growled as she got up and went out the door. Diana sat quietly on the floor, thinking. She had lied to Usa and managed to hide her thoughts from the girl. She knew there was something more to this. She only hoped the 14-year-old could handle it.


	2. Stubborn locker! Harusho has a guest

Sailor Soldiers: Revolution One  
  
Chapter 1  
Rrrrrriiiiiiiing! Smack. Diana looked up blearily from her spot on the bed to see Usa's arm protruding from the bundle of sheets, her hand having already hit the snooze button. The kitten yawned and stretched as the girl with the bunny- ear-odango sat up in a zombie-like manner. "I'm awake," she said monotonously. "Good," Diana grinned. "Now go get dressed, Frankenstein." Usa nodded blankly and had already stood up when she turned around. "Hey," she said slowly, "I'm not a monster." Diana burst out laughing at this comment and the time it had taken for the name to register with Usa. She was rolling on the bed in a fit of laughter, but it was cut short when a pillow hit her square in the face. "Cut it out, will ya?" Usa was now fully awake as she stalked into the bathroom. Diana grumbled as she smoothed out her rumpled whiskers. "You are a monster in the morning, Usa-chan, no doubt about it." She kept her voice low so her owner wouldn't hit her with another, harder item like a compact. That had happened before, too. Diana went into the bathroom a few minutes later to see how the girl was doing. She found her caking all kinds of stuff on her forehead. What is she doing? ...Oh yeah, the kitten remembered, the "bruise." When am I going to tell her what it really means? Usa turned toward Diana as she occupied an empty counter space. "Can you see it, Diana-chan?" Diana shook her head. "Nope. But I do see that you've used up half your concealer. Usa-chan, you don't need that much!" Usa frowned at the small lump of concealer that covered her forehead. "What the hell. I'll take it off at school. I'm going early anyway." She exited the bathroom, leaving Diana to ponder. The kitten knew that her time had come to be more responsible for Usa and tell her of her true heritage and duty. She had to stand beside her. It would be difficult, but it would ultimately change Diana forever. "No more being a housecat, I guess." "Why do you say that?" a motherly voice replied from below. Diana looked over the counter to see her mother, Luna. She seemed to be puzzled with something. "First I see Usagi walking downstairs with a lump on her forehead, and then I come in here and you say something about not being a housecat. What is going on?" "Mama, Usa-chan's sign is appearing. She thought it was a bruise, but what it really means is that it's time for her to become Sailor Moon. And for me... that means..." "Oh," Luna sounded surprised. Then she smiled. "There's really no need to worry, Diana. I'm here whenever you need advice." Diana looked at Luna gratefully. "Thanks, mama."  
  
****  
  
Usa's wrist was twisted at a painful angle as she fiddled with her combo lock. After adjusting it to the right number, she pulled up on the handle. The locker didn't open. It was the third time she had tried. Usa cursed and slammed her fist onto the cold metal, drawing people's attention. "Shimatta! Why won't you work?" she shouted at it.  
  
"Whoa, don't get so worked up over a locker, Usa-chan; your blood pressure's gonna skyrocket."  
  
Usa whipped around to face a taller girl with dark brown hair tied up in a bun. The pink-haired girl relaxed and laughed nervously. "Ara, Kioko-chan, it's you. Yeah, I'm having some problems. You couldn't help me out, could you?"  
  
"Sure thing. What's the combo?"  
  
"4-17-23," Usa read. She still had to look at her schedule because she didn't have it memorized.  
  
Kioko turned the dial slowly and cautiously. Once to the right, twice to the left, once right again... her green eyes twinkled as she glanced at her expectant friend. "I think I got it," she said. She turned back, not noticing that she had bumped the dial over more, and found she was as incapable of opening it as Usa was. She pulled up on the handle, still smiling. Her smile faded into a glare as she found herself being mocked by Usa's stubborn locker. She pulled with all the weight in her tall, strong body, but to no avail. She stumbled back, but was caught by a frightened Usa.  
  
The brunette growled at the metal door. "Baka! Open up, in the name of Usa- chan's backpack!" She slammed her fist into the locker. Usa gasped as she saw the dent her friend had left. But Kioko wasn't stopping. She pushed up her sleeves and got ready to run into it. Usa screamed. "Kioko-chan, don't! It's just a locker!"  
  
"Would you like me to try?"  
  
Kioko and Usa stopped immediately and looked a slight way down the hall to see a girl pushing toward them. She had long blue hair with sky-blue streaks that was tied in two loose pigtails. She came toward the two and smiled cheerfully. "You look like you need some help. Could I try opening it?"  
  
Usa nodded, too stunned to speak, and pointed to her locker. The girl turned the lock quickly and easily, and the locker opened with a triumphant pop. Usa and Kioko's eyes lit up as Usa shed her backpack and collected her things for first hour. She turned back around to face the girl. "Thank you so much; you must be really good at that kind of stuff. Are you new here?"  
  
The girl smiled again. "Yeah, my family just moved back here after my mom finished med school in Osaka. I'm Urawa Sadako." She bowed to both Kioko and Usa.  
  
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Kino Kioko." Kioko bowed in return.  
  
A thought flashed through Sadako's mind. Kino... that name sounds familiar...  
  
Usa bowed as well. "I'm Chiba Usagi, but my friends call me Usa-chan."  
  
Sadako gasped out of surprise. She looked from Kioko to Usa and back again. Usa frowned. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I definitely recognize those names. Have either of heard of Urawa Ami? Back then, she would have been Mizuno Ami."  
  
"My mom's talked about her before; yeah." Kioko nodded.  
  
"My parents seem to have mentioned her a lot, too. How do you know her, Sadako-chan?"  
  
Sadako smiled. "She's my mother. Wow, what a coincidence! She talks about Kino Makoto and Tsukino Usagi a lot, too. She said they're her best friends."  
  
"Tsukino was my mother's maiden name," Usa speculated. "That's so weird... our first day and we've already found someone we know through our parents."  
  
"Man, I'll have to tell mom about this," Kioko said excitedly. "She'll be so happy to know that your mother's in town."  
  
The five-minute bell blared over the noise in the halls. Sadako bowed again to the girls and began to walk off. "I'd better get going. Sayonara, Usa- chan! Sayonara, Kioko-chan!" "Sayonara!" Both waved after her. Usa smiled as they turned to walk down the hall. Sadako seemed so warm and kind, and they had gotten along so well. It almost seemed like fate had caused them to meet that day.  
  
"Usa-chan?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Why do you have a lump on your forehead?"  
  
****  
  
On the stone staircase to Hiwara Jinja, a small figure could be seen by all who passed. It was an old man, bent from his many years of labor, wearing a blue hakama and white gi. He had no hair, and his head was darkened from the hours at a time he must have spent in the sun. In his wrinkled hands he held a broom, and he used it to sweep the dust off the steps of the holy shrine. It seemed to cost his a great effort to do his task, and he swept slowly and meticulously, taking care on each step as though it were the floor of the shrine itself, to be kept clean and holy. Down on the sidewalk, a young girl watched him with interest. Her deep, sad blue eyes were narrowed and followed his every motion as he bent over the white steps, and the fingers on her right hand tapped on the handle of the black briefcase she was carrying.  
  
Soon enough, the old man came to rest on his broom, panting as though he had run a long distance. The girl was taken aback. He shouldn't be made to work like this, she thought. Does he live alone? Does no one care? She couldn't bear to ask him to take on what she would have requested otherwise. He didn't deserve the burden. But... she should at least ask for help...  
  
"Er... sama?" She took a step forward.  
  
The man immediately looked up and pasted on a false but welcoming smile. He opened his mouth to say something, but he just as quickly doubled over in a fit of coughing. The girl gasped and set down her suitcase, ready to run to him. "Ara... sama!"  
  
Her cry was mingled with the voice of someone else. She stopped short. So there is someone else here to take care of him.  
  
"Hiouji-san!" the voice cried again. The old man looked up and over his shoulder. Another young girl with long raven hair was running to him. The girl on the steps saw that she wore a darker blue hakama as well.  
  
"Hiouji-san! Are you all right?" the girl asked frantically. The old man nodded and coughed.  
  
The girl with the briefcase heard him speak in a dry, hoarse voice. "I'm fine, Harusho-chan," he muttered. "Just... need a little rest."  
  
The girl named Harusho frowned. "A little rest? Hiouji-san, you need to rest for a long time. You shouldn't even be working anymore. Come on, let's get you back inside." Harusho turned, guiding her great-grandpa toward the shrine and not even heeding the other girl, who stood still and waited. Her light blonde hair flew across her face as the wind began to pick up.  
  
Soon, Harusho returned alone. She bowed to the blonde girl, who bowed in return. "I'm very sorry," she said. "My great-grandfather has run this shrine for generations. He just can't seem to accept the fact that he's too old and sickly to work anymore." The stranger noticed Harusho's voice was calm and mature as she stepped down to face her.  
  
The girl glanced up at the fox kami who guarded the shrine. "I'm sorry for him. He must feel terrible not to be of use." Her mezzo voice was soft and breathy, and she spoke with what must have been a British accent.  
  
Harusho smiled kindly. "He manages not to show it. But enough about that; how may I help you? Are you here for a fortune?"  
  
The girl shook her head. "No, actually. I came here to ask for help, thinking I had nothing to offer in return. It now looks as though I could manage to reciprocate it, were it given, though."  
  
"Ara?" Harusho eyed the stranger inquisitively as she tucked a strand of hair into her braid. "And how would that be?"  
  
The visitor smiled, though her eyes were still sad. "I'm in need of a place to stay, at least for a few weeks. If you could possibly let me stay in this holy shrine, I will work to earn my keep. It seems you could use an extra hand. Is that," she asked cautiously, "possible? I... I'd really appreciate it, and I'd be glad to help with whatever you needed."  
  
Harusho was taken aback with this request, but she smiled. "I myself am not at liberty to grant or deny you your request, but if you come with me I'll gladly ask my parents. They're very kind; I'm sure they'll let you stay," she said.  
  
A glimmer of hope formed in the girl's eyes. "Thank you." She sounded like the most grateful person in the world.  
  
Harusho was touched by the girl's obvious gratitude. She smiled and bowed her head. "As long as you'll be here, I'd like to know your name. I can't call you boubou (so-and-so) all the time, now, can I?" she laughed.  
  
The girl smiled. "My name is Sheila."  
  
Harusho frowned as she struggled with the name. "Shiu-da? Shii-ra? It's an English name, isn't it?"  
  
Sheila nodded. "Yes, it is."  
  
"Forgive me. It's a very pretty name, but it may be a while before I pronounce it correctly. I don't speak English well."  
  
"That's fine. I haven't met anyone in this country yet who can say it."  
  
Harusho laughed. "Well, maybe I'll be the first."  
  
She led Sheila up the steps into the shrine, where they shed their shoes and found Harusho's mother and father kneeling at the table for tea. As they entered the room, Sheila instantly recognized Harusho's mother. She had the same long raven hair as her daughter, but her face was even more familiar...  
  
"Kuwabarakuwabara... Hino Rei!" she whispered in shock.  
  
Rei looked up at the sound of her name and Sheila saw a memory reflected in her eyes. The woman said nothing of it, though, and Harusho's father didn't notice.  
  
"Mother, father, this is Shii-ra. She wishes to stay here for a while and says she'll earn her keep," Harusho said very politely. "May she stay with us?"  
  
Rei continued to stare at Sheila, who lowered her eyes in response. Rei looked away quickly, ashamed to have intimidated the girl. "Of course you may stay with us, Sheila," she said in a kind voice. "We would be honored to have you." Sheila looked up, her eyes wide with surprise that Rei had pronounced her name. Now Rei's deep amethyst eyes met hers and the priestess bowed her head, though both she and Sheila knew that there was no need for introductions. "I am Rei Hino, the priestess here at Hiwara Jinja. I hope you have a pleasant stay."  
  
Harusho's father, who had been silently sipping tea, now put down his bowl. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Kamada Yuuichirou, Harusho's father." His brown hair was long and tied back in a ponytail, showing his handsome face. Sheila detected a slight Kansai accent.  
  
"I thank you all for letting me stay," she said as she bowed. Though Sheila tried to hide it, Rei saw the girl's eyes fill with tears of joy.  
  
"Harusho, why don't you show our guest to her room?" Yuuichirou suggested.  
  
"Of course." The girls bowed before Harusho began to lead Sheila down the quiet hall.  
  
Rei sipped her tea as though nothing had just happened. Yuuichirou, though, set his bowl down and looked at his wife questioningly. "Didn't she seem familiar to you?"  
  
"Of course she did. I'd know that face anywhere, but I'm not about to pry into the girl's personal life."  
  
"Don't you want to know why she's here alone, though?"  
  
Rei sighed and leaned back, staring into the steaming bowl of tea. "I'm actually not sure I want to know. Nobody's heard from her in years. Something could have happened." The priestess paused. "Sheila knows who I am, Yuuichirou. If she wants to tell me why she came and why no one was with her, she will. I'm not going to pry," she repeated.  
  
Yuuichirou shrugged. "That may be a while, but whatever floats your boat."  
  
Rei closed her eyes and let the steam from her tea moisten her face. Secretly, she wished she could possibly ask... where was her friend from so long ago?  
  
****  
  
Yay! I finally finished the first chapter. I hope you like this story, it's going to be much different from any other "new sailor" story you might've read. And this is only the first part! There's still the outers to deal with (that'll be a separate story). Enjoy and please review!  
  
With love from the Goddess of Nocturne Felines =^-.-^= 


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